How to Make German New Year Pretzel - A Step-by-Step Guide

German New Year Pretzels, also known as Neujahrsbrezel, are a traditional sweet treat enjoyed in Germany and other European countries to ring in the new year. These large, soft pretzels are typically made with a rich, buttery dough and finished with a crunchy sugar topping, making them the perfect indulgence to start the year off right.

It is believed that the tradition of eating pretzels on New Year's Day dates back to medieval times in Germany, where the shape of the pretzel was mea...

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Ingredients

  • 6 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 cup lukewarm milk, divided
  • 4 ½ tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted, or more as needed
  • 4 ½ tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar, or as needed

Information

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Additional Time: 1 hr 35 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
  • Servings: 8
  • Yield: 8 servings

  • Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup milk in a bowl; add 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir yeast mixture and 2 1/4 cups flour together in a bowl until dough is dry and clumpy. Allow dough to rise for 15 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk, butter, egg, lemon zest, and salt to dough until evenly mixed.
  • Knead dough, adding more flour as needed, until dough is elastic. Cover bowl with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap and allow dough to rise in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (199 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
  • Gently knead dough; roll into a long rope on the prepared baking sheet and twist into a pretzel shape. Cover dough with a clean towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 15 minutes more.
  • Brush egg yolk over dough and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over egg yolk.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Nutrition

    255 cal.

    • Total Fat: 9g
    • Saturated Fat: 5g
    • Cholesterol: 69mg
    • Sodium: 71mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 37g
    • Dietary Fiber: 2g
    • Total Sugars: 9g
    • Protein: 7g
    • Vitamin C: 0mg
    • Calcium: 51mg
    • Iron: 2mg
    • Potassium: 159mg